Abstract: The degradation of compounds contained in a liquid or solid waste stream is described. The invention provides a system that can be operated economically on a commercial scale that is capable of handling diverse waste streams without significant inhibition of the degradation process. The system involves the use of a semi-permeable membrane partition and pressure to drive reactants into a waste stream.

Abstract: Novel purified agarase enzymes from Flavobacterium sp. strain NR19 and cloned genes encoding the agarase enzymes are disclosed. Transformed host cells which express the novel agarase enzymes in isolatable quantities are also described. Also disclosed are antibodies specifically reactive with the novel agarases.

Abstract: Solutions containing nucleic acids are treated with an alkaline protease to digest proteins such as nucleases that degrade the nucleic acids. In the isolation of nucleic acids, a biological sample containing nucleic acids is suspended in a solution containing water, buffer and chelating agent, the pH of the solution is adjusted to at least about 10 by adding a solution of sodium hydroxide and anionic detergent, an alkaline protease is incubated in the solution until nucleases are degraded, the pH of the solution is lowered to reduce activity of the alkaline protease by adding a solution having a pH between 3.5 and 4.5 and the alkaline protease is heat inactivated. Lowering of the pH may produce a cloudy solution which is cleared by centrifuging. Nucleic acids are isolated from the cleared solution by alcohol precipitation, or by using paramagnetic particles or a resin matrix containing silica particles. A chaotropic salt can be used to reversibly bind DNA to the resin matrix.

Abstract: A first embodiment of the method is for analyzing the amount of methionine sulfoxide in a protein sample and includes the steps of contacting a protein solution with methionine sulfoxide reductase in the presence of a reducing reagent bearing a covalently-linked reporter tag, whereby the reducing reagent is oxidized. The oxidized reducing reagent formed, which is in proportion to the amount of methionine sulfoxide in the sample, is then quantified. A second embodiment of the method is for analyzing the amount of disulfide linkages in a polypeptide or protein sample. It proceeds in the same fashion as above, but in the absence of any enzyme. A novel fluorescently-labeled reducing agent, and kits to practice the method are also disclosed.

Abstract: Novel purified agarase enzymes from Flavobacterium sp. strain NR19 and cloned genes encoding the agarase enzymes are disclosed. Transformed host cells which express the novel agarase enzymes in isolatable quantities are also described. Also disclosed are antibodies specifically reactive with the novel agarases.

Abstract: A process for isolating nucleic acids from agarose, and particularly regular agarose, is described wherein the agarose is augmented with a chaotropic substance and hydrolyzed by a novel purified agarase enzyme from Flavobacterium sp. strain NR19.